The head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight convoy in Greece on Tuesday night left 42 people dead, according to the latest toll from the fire brigade on Thursday morning. Rescue teams are still working to find numerous passengers who are still unaccounted for, Greek state television ERT reported.
Rail workers across the country have gone on strike for 24 hours to protest against the deplorable state of the Greek railway network. Two of the three metro lines in the capital Athens are also at a standstill.
The train accident happened at around 23:30 local time on Tuesday (22:30 BST) in central Greece, on the railway line connecting Athens to Thessaloniki. "Everything points to the fact that the tragedy is due, unfortunately, mainly to a tragic human error," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday evening.
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The Larissa station manager was arrested following his statement at the police station. He reportedly admitted to making a switching error. As a result, the Intercity train with 342 passengers and 10 employees on board and a freight train travelling in the opposite direction were on the same track and collided head-on.
The 59-year-old man is being prosecuted for "negligent homicide" and "involuntary bodily harm". He will testify in court on Thursday.
